Chapter 381

Madison

Hazel’s car was still in the driveway when I pulled in. Through the window, I could see her at the kitchen table, laptop open, phone pressed to her ear. She looked exhausted.

Inside, the house smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. My mother must have been baking again.

“Mommy!” Ethan’s shriek preceded him as he launched himself from the living room, crashing into my legs with enough force to make me stumble.

“Hey, baby.” I caught him, ruffling his hair. “How was school?”

“Amazing! We made volcanoes, and mine exploded the biggest. Miss Daisy said it was very impressive. Can we make one at home? Please?”

“Maybe this weekend,” I promised, steering him back toward the living room. “Did you thank Aunt Hazel for picking you up?”

“Yes.” He bounced on his toes. “And I showed her my volcano drawing, and she said it looked like a real one except real volcanoes don’t have faces.”

“Your volcano has a face?”

“A happy face! Because